Flange.



Patented September 27, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. BILLINGS, OF MACON, MISSOURI.

FLANGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,889, dated September 27, 1904.

Application filed February 15, 1904:. Serial No. 193,729. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK C. BILLINcs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, Macon county, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flanges, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to flanges; and it consists of the novel features herein shown, described, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation, showing my improved flanges connecting a hammer and a damper to the center wire in a piano-action. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective, upon an enlarged scale, of one of the flanges. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the manner of connecting the spring to the flange.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved flange comprises the spring-bearing 5, the parallel extensions 6 and 7 leading from the bearing 5, the parallel leaves 8 and 9, leading from the outer ends of the extensions 6 and 7 and having the alined screwopenings 10, the ears 1-1 and 12upon the inner end of the leaf 9 and upon opposite sides of the extension 7, and the foot 13, extending from the outer end of the leaf 8 and at right angles thereto.

One of the flanges is placed against the upper end of the center rail 14., and the damperlever 15 is pivotally connected to said flange by a pin 16, extending through said lever 15 and through the spring-bearing 5. A screw 17 is. inserted through the screw-openings 10 and screw-seated into the end of the center rail 14, thus drawing the leaves 8 and 9 together, thereby contracting the bearing 5 to engage the pin 16. A spring-wire is coiled to form the bearing 18, the stop 19 extending from one end of the bearing and the operating-arm 20 extending from the other end of the bearing, and the spring thus formed is placed in position with the bearing 18 between the ears 11 and 12, and a pivot-pin 21 is inserted through said ears and through said bearing. The stop 19 engages the leaf 9, and

the arm 20 extends upwardly and engages the upper end of the damper-lever 15. The foot 13 is embedded into the end of the center rail, thus holding the flange from turning upon the screw 17. The face 22 of the end of the center rail is slightly inclined. A second one of the flanges is placed against the.

shoulder 23 of the center rail, said shoulder 23 being at right angles to the face 22, and the foot 13 of the flange engages the shoulder 24 of the center rail to hold the flange from turning on the screw 25. The hammer 26 is pivotally connected to this flange by the pin 27, inserted through ears 28 and through the bearing 5. The stop 19 engages the end face 29 of the first flange, and the arm 20 extends upwardly and is attached to the hammer. In the second flange the foot 13 extends from the leaf 9, whereas in the first flange said foot extends from the leaf 8.

I claim 1. A flange, comprising a spring-bearing; parallel extensions extending from the bearing, leaves extending from the extensions and having alined openings; ears extending from one of the leaves upon opposite sides of the extensions, substantially as specified.

2. A flange, comprising a spring-bearing; parallel extensions extending from the bearing, leaves extending from the extensions and having alined openings; ears extending from one of the leaves upon opposite sides of the extensions, and a foot extending from the other leaf, substantially as specified.

3. A flange, comprising a spring-bearing; parallel extensions extending from the bearing, leaves extending from the extensions and having alined openings; ears extending from one of the leaves upon opposite sides of the extensions; a spring-wire coiled to form a bearing, a stop and an operating-arm; said bearing being placed between said cars; and

the pin inserted through said ears and through I 

